II
We followed Mayes's example by stopping the cab in Charterhouse Street,and walking the short remaining distance to Barbican. Norbury Row was anobscure street behind it, at the corner of which stood "The Compasses,"the public-house which Plummer had mentioned. We did not venture to showourselves in Norbury Row, but hastened into the nearest door of "TheCompasses," which chanced to be that of the private bar.
A stout, red-faced, slow-moving man with one eye and a black patch,stood behind the bar. Plummer lifted his finger and pointed quicklytoward the bar-parlour; and at the signal the one-eyed man turned withgreat deliberation and pulled a catch which released the door of thatapartment, close at our elbows. We stepped quickly within, and presentlythe one-eyed man came rolling in by the other door.
"Well, good art'noon, Mr. Plummer, sir," he said, with a longintonation and a wheeze. "Good art'noon, sir. You've bin a strangerlately."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Moon," Plummer answered, briskly. "We've come fora little information, my friend and I, which I'm sure you'll give us ifyou can."
"All the years I've been knowed to the police," answered Mr. Moon,slower and wheezier as he went on, "I've allus give 'em all theinformation I could, an' that's a fact. Ain't it, Mr. Plummer?"
"Yes, of course, and we don't forget it. What we want now----"
"Allus tell 'em what--ever I knows," rumbled Mr. Moon, turning to me,"allus; an' glad to do it, too. 'Cause why? Ain't they the police? Verywell then, I tells 'em. Allus tells 'em!"
Plummer waited patiently while Mr. Moon stared solemnly at me after thisspeech. Then, when the patch slowly turned in my direction and the eyein his, he resumed, "We want to know if you know anything about No. 8Norbury Row?"
"Number eight," Mr. Moon mused, gazing abstractedly out of the window;"num--ber eight. Ground-floor, Stevens, packing-case maker; first-floor,Hutt, agent in fancy-goods; second-floor, dunno. Name o' Richardson,bookbinder, on the door, but that's bin there five or six year now, andit ain't the same tenant. Richardson's dead, an' this one don't bind nobooks as I can see. I don't even remember seein' him _very_ often.Tallish, darkish sort o' gent he is, and don't seem to have manyvisitors. Well, then there's the top-floor--but I s'pose it's the sametenant. Richardson used to have it for his workshop. That's all."
"Have you got a window we can watch it from?"
Mr. Moon turned ponderously round and without a word led the way to thefirst floor, puffing enormously on the stairs.
"You _can_ see it from the club-room," he said at length, "but this 'erelittle place is better."
He pushed open a door, and we entered a small sitting-room. "That's theplace," he said, pointing. "There's a new packing-case a-standingoutside now."
Norbury Row presented an appearance common enough in parts of the city alittle way removed from the centre. A street of houses that once hadsheltered well-to-do residents had gradually sunk in the world to thecondition of tenement-houses, and now was on the upward grade again,being let in floors to the smaller sort of manufacturers, and to suchagents and small commercial men as required cheap offices. No. 8 wasmuch like the rest. A packing-case maker had the ground-floor, as Moonhad said, and a token of his trade, in the shape of a new packing-case,stood on the pavement. The rest of the building showed nothingdistinctive.
"There y'are, gents," said Mr. Moon, "if you want to watch, you'rewelcome, bein' the p'lice, which I allus does my best for, allus. Butyou'll have to excuse me now, 'cos o' the bar."
Mr. Moon stumped off downstairs, leaving Plummer and myself watching atthe window.
"Your friend the publican seems very proud of helping the police," Iremarked.
Plummer laughed. "Yes," he said, "or at any rate, he is anxious weshan't forget it. You see, it's in some way a matter of mutualaccommodation. We make things as easy as possible for him on licensingdays, and as he has a pretty extensive acquaintance among the sort ofpeople we often want to get hold of, he has been able to show hisgratitude very handsomely once or twice."
The house on which our eyes were fixed was a little too far up thestreet for us to see perfectly through the window of the second-floor,though we could see enough to indicate that it was furnished as anoffice. We agreed that the unknown second-floor tenant was more likelyto be our customer, or connected with him, than either of the others.Still, we much desired a nearer view, and presently, since the coastseemed clear, Plummer announced his intention of taking one.
He left me at the post of observation, and presently I saw him loungingalong on the other side of the way, keeping close to the houses, so asto escape observation from the upper windows. He took a good look at thenames on the door-post of No. 8, and presently stepped within.
I waited five or six minutes, and then saw him returning as he had come.
"It's the top floors we want," he said, when he rejoined me in Mr.Moon's sitting-room. "The packing-case maker is genuine enough, and verybusy. So is the fancy-goods agent. I went in, seeing the door wide open,and found the agent, a little, shop-walkery sort of chap, hard at workwith his clerk among piles of cardboard boxes. I wouldn't go further, incase I were spotted. Do you think you'd be cool enough to do it withoutarousing suspicion? Mayes doesn't know you, you see. What do you think?We don't want to precipitate matters till we hear from Hewitt, but onthe other hand I don't want to sit still as long as anything can beascertained. You might ask a question about book-binding."
"Of course," I said. "If you will let me I'll go at once--glad of thechance to get a peep. I'll bespeak a quotation for binding andlettering a thousand octavos in paste grain, on behalf of someconvenient firm of publishers. That would be technical enough, I think?"
I took my hat and walked out as Plummer had done, though, of course, Iapproached the door of No. 8 with less caution. The packing-case maker'smen were hammering away merrily, and as I mounted the stairs I saw thelittle fancy-goods agent among his cardboard boxes, just as Plummer hadsaid. The upper part of the house was a silent contrast to the busylower floors, and as I arrived at the next landing I was surprised tosee the door ajar.
I pushed boldly in, and found myself alone in a good-sized room plainlyfitted as an office. There were two windows looking on the street, andone at the back, more than half concealed behind a ground glasspartition or screen. I stepped across and looked out of this window. Itlooked on a narrow space, or well, of plain brick wall, containingnothing but a ladder, standing in one corner. And the only other windowgiving on this narrow square space was in the opposite wall, but muchlower, on the ground level.
I saw these things in a single glance, and then I turned--to find myselfface to face with a tallish, thin, active man, with a pale, shaven,ascetic face, dark hair, and astonishingly quick glittering black eyes.He stood just within the office door, to which he must have come withouta sound, looking at me with a mechanical smile of inquiry, while hiseyes searched me with a portentous keenness.
"Oh," I said, with the best assumption of carelessness I could command,"I was looking for you, Mr. Richardson. Do you care to give a quotationfor binding at per thousand crown octavo volumes in paste grain, plain,with lettering on back?"
"No," answered the man with the eyes, "I don't; I'm afraid mycarelessness has led you into a mistake. I am not Richardson thebookbinder. He was my predecessor in this office, and I have neglectedto paint out his name on the door-post."
I hastened to apologise. "I am sorry to have intruded," I said. "I foundthe door ajar and so came in. You see the publishing season isbeginning, and our regular binders are full of work, so that we have tolook elsewhere. Good-day!"
"Good-day," the keen man responded, turning to allow me to pass throughthe door. "I'm sorry I cannot be of service to you--on this occasion."
From first to last his eyes had never ceased to search me, and now as Idescended the stairs I could _feel_ that they were fixed on me still.
I took a turn about the houses, in order not to be observed goingdirect to "The Compasses," and entered that house by way of the
privatebar, as before.
"That is Mayes, and no other," said Plummer, when I had made my reportand described the man with the eyes. "I've seen him twice, once with hisbeard and once without. The question now is, whether we hadn't best sailin straight away and collar him. But there's the window at the back, anda ladder, I think you said. Can he reach it?"
"I think he might--easily."
"And perhaps there's the roof, since he's got the top floor too. Notgood enough without some men to surround the house. We must go gingerlyover this. One thing to find out is, what is the building behind? Ah,how I wish Mr. Hewitt were here now! If we don't hear from him soon wemust send a message. But we mustn't lose sight of No. 8 for a moment."
There was a thump at the sitting-room door, and Mr. Moon came puffing inand shouldered himself confidentially against Plummer. "Bloke downstairswants to see you," he said, in a hoarse grunt that was meant for a lowwhisper. "Twigged you outside, I think, an' says he's got somethinkpartickler to tell yer. I believe 'e's a 'nark'; I see him with one o'your chaps the other day."
"I'll go," Plummer said to me hurriedly. "Plainly somebody's spotted mein the street, and I may as well hear him."
I knew very well, of course, what Moon meant by a 'nark.' A 'nark'is an informer, a spy among criminals who sells the police whateverinformation he can scrape up. Could it be possible that this man hadanything to tell about Mayes? It was scarcely likely, and I made up mymind that Plummer was merely being detained by some tale of a pettylocal crime.
But in a few minutes he returned with news of import. "This fellow ismost valuable," he said. "He knows a lot about Mayes, whom, of course,he calls by another name; but the identity's certain. He saw me lookingin at No. 8, he says, and guessed I must be after him. He seems to havewondered at Mayes's mysterious movements for a long time, and so kepthis eye on him and made inquiries. It seems that Mayes sometimes uses aback way, through the window you saw on the opposite side of the littlearea, by way of that ladder you mentioned. It's quite plain this fellowknows something, from the particulars about that ladder. He wants half asovereign to show me the way through a stable passage behind and pointout where our man can be trapped to a certainty. It'll be a cheap tenshillingsworth, and we mustn't waste time. If Hewitt comes, tell him notto move till I come back or send a message, which I can easily do bythis chap I'm going with. And be sure to keep your eye on the front doorof No. 8 while I'm gone."
The thing had begun to grow exciting, and the fascination of the pursuittook full possession of my imagination. I saw Plummer pass across theend of the street in company with a shuffling, out-at-elbows-looking manwith dirty brown whiskers, and I set myself to watch the door of thestaircase by the packing-case maker's with redoubled attention, hopingfervently that Mayes might emerge, and so give me the opportunity ofcapping the extraordinary series of occurrences connected with the RedTriangle by myself seizing and handing him over to the police.
So I waited and watched for something near another quarter of an hour.Then there came another thump at the door, and once more I beheld Mr.Moon.
"Man askin' for you in the bar, sir," he said.
"Asking for me?" I asked, a little astonished. "By name?"
"Mr. Brett, 'e said, sir. He's the same chap, you know. He's got amessage from Inspector Plummer, 'e says."
"May he come up here?" I asked, mindful of maintaining my watch.
"Certainly, sir, if you like. I'll bring him."
Presently the shuffling man with the dirty whiskers presented himself.He was a shifty, villainous-looking fellow of middle height, looking a"nark" all over. He pulled off his cap and delivered his message in arum-scented whisper. "Inspector Plummer says the front way don't matternow," he said. "'E can cop 'im fair the other way if you'll go round tohim at once. If Mr. Martin Hewitt's here 'e'd rather 'ave 'im, but on'yone's to come now."
Naturally, I thought, Plummer would prefer Hewitt; but in this case Ishould for once be ahead of my friend, and have the pleasure of relatingthe circumstances of the capture to him, instead of listening, as usual,to his own quiet explanations of the manner in which the case had beenbrought to a successful issue. So I took my hat and went.
"Best let me go in front," whispered the "nark." "You bein' a toff mightbe noticed." It was a reasonable precaution, and I followed himaccordingly.
We went a little way down Barbican, and presently, taking a very narrowturning, plunged into a cluster of alleys, through which, however, Icould plainly perceive that our way lay in the direction of the back ofthe house in Norbury Row. At length my guide stopped at what seemed astable yard, pushed open a wicket gate, and went in, keeping the gateopen for me to follow.
It was, indeed, a stable yard, littered with much straw, which the"nark" carefully picked to walk on as noiselessly as possible, motioningme to do the same. It was a small enough yard, and dark, and when myguide very carefully opened the door of a stable I saw that that wasdarker still.
He pushed the door wide so as to let a little light fall on another doorwhich I now perceived in the brick wall which formed the side of thestable. After listening intently for a moment at this door, the guidestepped back and favoured me with another puff of rum and a whisper."There's no light in that there passage," he said, "an' we'd better notstrike one. I'll catch hold of your hand."
He pulled the stable door to, and took me by the hand. I heard the innerdoor open quietly, and we stepped cautiously forward. We had gone somefive or six yards in the darkness when I felt something cold touch thewrist of the hand by which I was being led. There was a loud click, myhand was dropped, and I felt my wrist held fast, while I could hear mylate guide shuffling away in the darkness.
I could not guess whether to cry out or remain quiet. I called after theman in a loud whisper, but got no answer. I used my other hand to feelat my right wrist, and found that it was clipped in one of a pair ofhandcuffs, the other being locked in a staple in the wall. I tugged myhardest to loosen this staple, but it held firm. The thing had been sosudden and stealthy that I scarce had time to realise that I was inserious danger, and that, doubtless, Plummer had preceded me, when alight appeared at an angle ahead. It turned the corner, and I perceived,coming toward me, carrying a lamp, the pale man of the eyes, whom I hadencountered not an hour before--in a word, Mayes.
His eyes searched me still, but he approached me with a curiously politesmile.
"No, Mr. Brett," he said, "my name is not Richardson, and I am not abookbinder. Not that I am particular about such a thing as a name, foryou have heard of me under more than one already, and you are quite atliberty to call me Richardson if you like. I am sorry to have to talk toyou in this uncomfortable place, but the circumstances are exceptional.But, at least, I should give you a chair."
He stepped back a little way and pressed a bell-button. Presently thefellow who had decoyed me there appeared, and Mayes ordered him tobring me a chair at once, which he did, with stolid obedience. I sat init, so that my wrist rested at somewhere near the level of my shoulder.
"Mr. Brett," Mayes pursued, when his man was gone, "I am not soimplacable a person as you perhaps believe me; in fact, I can assure youthat my disposition is most friendly."
"Then unfasten this handcuff," I said.
"I am sorry that that is a little precaution I find it necessary to taketill we understand each other better. I am glad to see you, Mr. Brett,though I am sure you will not think me rude if I say that I should havepreferred Mr. Martin Hewitt in your place. But perhaps his turn willcome later. I have a proposition to make, Mr. Brett. I should like youto join me."
"To join you?"
"Exactly." He nodded pleasantly. "You needn't shrink; I shan't ask youto do anything vulgar, or even anything that, with your presentprejudices, you might consider actively criminal. You can help me, yousee, in your own profession as a journalist; and in other ways. And myenterprise is greater than you may imagine. Join me, and you shall bea great man in an entirely new sphere. A small matter of initiation isnecessary,
and that is all. You have only to consent to that."
I said nothing.
"You seem reluctant. Well, perhaps it is natural, in your presentignorance. This is no vulgar criminal organisation that I have,understand. I have taken certain measures to provide myself with thenecessary tools in the shape of money, and so forth, but my aims arelarger than you suspect--perhaps larger than you can understand. AndI work with a means more wonderful than you have experience of. Forinstance, here is to-day's work. You know about the lost Naval Code, ofcourse--it is what you came about. That document is now lying in thedesk you stood by in the room where we spoke of paste grain book coversand the like. It was there then at your elbow. It will be sold for manythousands of pounds by to-morrow, and all the puny watchings anddodgings that have been devised cannot prevent it. The money will go toaid me in the attainment of the power of which you may have a part, ifyou wish. The means of attaining this I scruple no more about than youdid to-day about the story of the bookbindings." He bowed with a slightsmile and went on.
"Come now, Mr. Brett, put aside your bourgeois prejudices and join me.Your friend Plummer is coming gladly, I feel sure, and he will beuseful, too. And from what I have seen from Mr. Martin Hewitt, I haveno doubt I can make it right with him. If I can't it will be very badfor him, I can assure you; you have heard and seen something of mypowers, and I need say no more. But Hewitt is a man of sense, and willcome in, of course, and you had better come with your friends. I wantone or two superior men. Mason--you know about Jacob Mason, ofcourse--Mason was a fool, and he was lost--inevitably. The others"--hemade a gesture of contempt--"they are mere vulgar tools. They will havetheir rewards if they are faithful, of course; if not--well, youremember Denson in the Samuel diamond business? He was _not_ faithful,and there was an end of him. I may tell you that Denson was made anexample, for one was needed. I assigned him a certain operation, and,having brought it to success, he endeavoured to embezzle--didembezzle--the proceeds. He was made a conspicuous example, in a mostconspicuous public place, to impress the others. They didn't know _him_,but they knew well enough what the Red Triangle meant! Ah, my excellentrecruit--for so I count you already--there is more in that little signthan you can imagine! It is more than a sign--it is an implement of verypotent power; and you shall learn its whole secret in that little formof initiation I spoke of. See now, a present example. Telfer, theAdmiralty clerk, gave up that document at my mere spoken word. He willdeny it to his dying day, and he will be ruined for the act; but he gaveme the paper himself, at my mere order. If he were one of my own--if hehad passed through the initiation I offer you, I would have protectedhim; as it is, he must take his punishment, and though it is only I whowill benefit, he will still deny the fact! Ha! Mr. Brett, do you beginto perceive that I do not boast when I tell of powers beyond yourunderstanding?"
Truly I was amazed, though I could not half understand. Thecircumstances of the loss of the Admiralty code had been soinexplicable, and now these incredible suggestions of the primeactor in the matter were more mysterious still.
"Ha! you are amazed," he went on, "but if you will come further into mycounsels I will amaze you more. What are you now? A drudge of ajournalist, and if ever you make a thousand a year to feed yourself withyou will be lucky. Come to me and you shall be a man of power. There isa place beyond the sea where I may be king, and you a viceroy. Don'tthink I am raving! It is true enough that I am an enthusiast, but I havepower, power to do anything I please, I tell you! What are the greatestpowers among men on this earth? Some will say the pen, or the sword, orlove, or what not. Men of the world will say, money and lies; and theywill be very nearly right. Money and lies will move continents, but Ihave one greater power still--the very apex of the triangle! That powerI revealed to Jacob Mason. He thought to betray it, and it killed him.That power I will reveal to you, if you will accept the alternative Ioffer."
"The alternative?"
"Yes, the alternative, for an alternative it is, of course. If you willgo through the form of initiation, I shall keep you here a little till Ican trust you--which will be very soon. But if not--well, Mr. Brett, Iwish to be as friendly as you please, but having been at the trouble ofcatching you, and having got you here safely, you who know so much now,you who could be so dangerous if you ever got away--eh? Well, you knowmy methods, and you have seen them exemplified, and you willunderstand."
There was no anger in his voice as he uttered this threat, nor even, Ithought, in his eyes. But what there was was worse.
"But I'm sure you will not make things unpleasant," he concluded. "Youwill go through the little form I have arranged, if only for curiosity.Just think over it for a moment, while I go to close my little office."
He took the lamp and turned away, but as he reached the angle of thepassage, there came a sound that checked his steps. I could hear a noiseof feet and hurried voices, and then suddenly arose a shout in a voicewhich seemed to be Plummer's. "Here!" it cried. "Help! This way, Hewitt!Brett!"
I shouted back at the top of my voice, wondering where Plummer was, andwhat it might all mean. And with that Mayes turned, and I saw that hewas about to make for the door I had entered by. I resolved he shouldnot pass me if I could prevent it, and I sprang up and seized my chairin my left hand, shouting aloud for help as I did so.
Mayes came with a bound, and flung his lighted lamp full at my head. Itstruck the chair and smashed to a thousand pieces, and in that instantof time Mayes was on me. Plainly he had no weapon, or he would have usedit; but I was at disadvantage enough, with my right wrist chained to thewall. I clung with all my might, and endeavoured to swing my enemy roundagainst the wall in order that I might clasp my hands about him, and Ishouted my loudest as I did it. But the chair and the broken glasshampered me, and Mayes was desperate. The agony in my right wrist wasunbearable, and just as I was conscious of a rush of approaching feet aheavy blow took me full in the face, and I felt Mayes rush over me whileI fell and hung from the wrist.
I had a stunned sense of lights and voices and general confusion, andthen I remembered nothing.